Three weeks ago Geraldine Bigelow
was sitting right back there against the wall and now I believe
she's in glory. The visitation for Geraldine
will be here tomorrow at 11 o'clock and the funeral directly following
at noon and her family will be returning to the church after
the graveside service and the ladies will be serving them lunch
at around two o'clock. And if you'd like to help, there's
a sign-up sheet in the foyer. And if you have any questions,
I would say see Peggy Moore, but she's not here. So what do
I say about that? I guess see Lynn. See Lynn, I
guess. Back to Luke chapter four. Verse 41, once again. And devils. Demons. These demons, at one time, were
in heaven. And they fell. Remember the angels
which kept not their first estate? They fell. They were cast out
of heaven. These demons knew who Christ
was. They were in heaven. They'd seen
him. They'd seen him who is the image
of the invisible God. They knew who he was. And devils
also came out of many crying out and saying, thou art Christ,
the son of God. And do you remember what the
Lord said to Peter? He said, whom do you say that
I am? I know what men say. Whom do
you say that I am? And Peter said, thou art the
Christ, the son of the living God. Now that's the same confession
these demons make at this time. Devils also came out of many
crying out and saying, thou art Christ, the son of God. And he rebuking them, suffered
them not to speak. For they knew he was Christ. They knew. They knew. They trembled. You believe there's one God,
you do well. The devils believe and tremble. They knew. I've entitled this message, Knowledge
or Faith? knowledge or faith. Now in verse 40, now when the
sun was setting, this was at Peter's house after the healing
of Peter's mother-in-law, we considered that Wednesday night.
Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with
diverse diseases brought them unto These people did the best thing
they could do. They brought the sick to the
Lord Jesus Christ. He's the only one who could do
anything for them. Now, I may not be able to bring
the sick to him physically, but I am certain I can bring them
to him in prayer. The great physician. They brought their sick unto
him. All that had these various diseases.
I think it's interesting that Matthew's account uses a different
word for sicknesses. It's the word that means evilly
sick, evilly sick. You know how some people through
a bad life, they bring upon themselves sickness through horrible habits,
vice, and so on. They bring upon themselves sickness. You can't look down on somebody
like that, can you? Can you judge them and say, well, they had
it coming. Look how they've lived. Huh? You, you got problems. If that's your attitude, you
got problems, evilly sick. You see, if there's sickness
of any kind, there's only one reason behind it. Sin, sin, evilly
sick. Or doesn't your sin make you
sick and you need the great physician? Oh, if you have any, if you have
any understanding of sin sickness, you know, this, he is the only
one who can do anything for you. I love that scripture. He healed
them that had need of healing. Well, I'm one of them. He'll
me. They were evilly sick and oh,
the disease of sin. Physical sickness, mental sickness,
emotional sickness, whatever kind of sickness it was, they
brought them to him. And look what it says in verse
40. And he laid his hands on every one of them and healed
them. Now, if you know that I'm sick, You don't want to shake
my hand, do you? You don't really want to come
in contact with me, because I'll bring my sickness on to you.
And I'm in the habit. First thing I do after this service
is over is I wash my hands. I've been shaking hands with
a lot of people, and that just makes sense. You know, I mean,
listen, I like shaking your hand. Now, I hope you like shaking
my hand, but if you got some kind of sickness, I want to get
really, you know, I wash my hands. We don't like to come into contact
with sick people, do we? Somebody sneezing, sniffling,
and all that kind of stuff, we kind of, you know, that can create
problems. But the Lord Jesus Christ laid
his hands on these sick people. He came into physical contact
with them, laying on them. And who knows what all these
sicknesses were? Maybe somebody, I mean, there's just all kinds
of sicknesses it could have been, but every one of them, he laid
his hands on them. Now, what is this laying of hands
on all about? In Hebrews chapter six, verse
two, the laying on of hands is one of the six foundational truths
of the gospel. Now you think about the importance
of that when he talked about eternal judgment, resurrection
of the dead, doctrine of baptisms, laying on of hands. This is one
of the foundational truths of the gospel, the first principles
of the oracles of God. Now, what is this thing of the
laying on of hands? Well, turn with me to Leviticus chapter
16. Leviticus chapter 16. Now this is the great chapter
on the Day of Atonement that happened once a year. And there
were two goats that were to be used in the Day of Atonement.
First there was the scapegoat, and then there was the goat for
sacrifice. Now keep that in mind, two goats
to be used for the Day of Atonement. Look at verse 15, Leviticus chapter
16. Then shall he kill the goat of
the sin offering, that is for the people and bring his blood
within the veil and do with that blood as he did with the blood
of the bullock and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat and before
the mercy seat and he shall make an atonement for the holy place. Now that's what the blood of
the first goat did. And then we read of the scapegoat.
Everybody's familiar with that term, scapegoat. A scapegoat's
the one where he's the one who takes the blame. He's the one,
you've all heard of a scapegoat. It means literally a goat of
separation. But let's read about this scapegoat. Look, beginning
in verse 21. And Aaron shall lay both his
hands upon the head of the live goat, the scapegoat, the goat
of separation, Here's the laying on of hands and confess over
him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their
transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of
the goat. What was put on the head of the
goat? All the sins, all the iniquities, all the transgressions of the
people. Now, you and I know that this is symbolic. That goat didn't
put away any sin, but that goat pointed to him who does put away
sin, who had sin placed upon him. Verse 21. putting them upon the head of
the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man
into the wilderness, and the goat shall bear upon him all
their iniquities, unto a land not inhabited, And he shall let
the goat go in the wilderness. What shall the goat bear? All
their iniquities. So this laying on of hands is
symbolic of the transference of sin. When that high priest
put his head upon that live goat, It says, all the sins, all the
iniquities, all the transgressions of the children of Israel were
placed upon Him. Now, turn back to Matthew's account
of this same story. We looked at this for a little
bit Wednesday night. Matthew chapter 8. Same story, verse 16. And when the even was come, Luke
said when the sun was setting, when the even was come, this
was at Peter's house, they brought unto him many that were possessed
with devils. And he cast out the spirits with
his word and healed all that were sick. Now, I love thinking
about this. When I think of these phony healing
services people have, it's sickening, isn't it? And here's a true healing service.
Anyone who was brought to him, he laid his hands on them and
they were healed. Every single one of them without
exception. But what if he didn't have faith
to be healed? It wasn't their faith that healed, it was him.
He healed every single one of them. All that were sick, verse
17, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying, Himself took or received, is the word, our
infirmities and bear our sicknesses. Now this is a quotation from
Isaiah 53, and it gives us some glimpse as to what substitution
means. Isaiah says, he hath borne our
griefs. and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions
and he was bruised for our iniquities. Now, I believe that the scripture
teaches that sin, the sins of God's elect, were actually imputed
to the Lord Jesus Christ. But you know, the Bible never
uses that language. Not one time does it ever say that sin was
imputed to Christ. But let me ask you a question
in light of this. Can sickness be imputed to somebody? He has
sickness charged to his account. Well, it doesn't even make sense,
does it? Sickness can't be imputed to somebody, but you can get
sick. You can become sick. And oh, you feel the horror of
the disease. You become sick. The Lord Jesus
Christ, when he became the sinner's substitute, he became sick. He took our sins,
our sorrows, our infirmities, our sicknesses into His very
own body on the tree. Now, you know as well as I do
that He never committed sin. Even when He was made sin, He
didn't commit a sin. But understand this, He bore
all the consequences of sin. He bore all the consequences
of sin. You know that sickness that you
and I have had? He bore it. The sin that you've
committed, if you're a believer, he bore that very sin in his
own body on the tree. That's how they were healed. Somebody says, well, when did
he actually become sick at that time when he laid his hands on
him? When did he become sick? When, when did he experience
all these things? I don't know how to answer that question.
I really don't know how to answer that question. I know this. He's
called in the scriptures, a man of sorrows and acquainted. And may I say deeply acquainted
with grief. He had the pressure of knowing
that he was going to be made sin the whole time he was here.
Let me show you a psalm, Psalm 88. Would you turn with me there? Psalm 88. I'd never looked at
this psalm in light of it being the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.
But in this psalm, the psalmist says, I've experienced all your
wrath. Now, what if I looked at you
and I said, I've experienced in my own body, all the wrath
of God. You'd say, well, you've got a
very exaggerated view of what you've experienced. You wouldn't
really believe that. Now look at these words. Yes, David wrote
them, but look at these words as the words of the Lord Jesus
Christ from the cross. Psalm 88. Oh Lord God of my salvation. I have cried day and night before
thee. Let my prayer come before thee.
Incline thine ear unto my cry, for my soul is full of troubles,
and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with
them that go down into the pit. I am as a man that hath no strength,
free among the dead like the slain that lie in the grave,
whom thou rememberest no more. And they're cut off from by hand.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me,
and thou hast afflicted me with all thy ways." Now, before we
go on reading, who can this be but the Lord Jesus Christ? Has
any man ever experienced this? In this flesh? No, no, this is
the Lord speaking. Verse 8, Thou hast put away mine
acquaintance far from me. Thou hast made me an abomination
unto them. I'm shut up. I cannot come forth. Mine eye mourneth by reason of
affliction, Lord. I've called daily upon Thee.
I've stretched out my hands unto Thee. Wilt Thou show wonders
to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise Thee? Shall thy loving
kindness be declared in the grave, or thy faithfulness in destruction?
Shall thy wonders be known in the dark, and thy righteousness
in the land of forgetfulness? But unto thee have I cried, O
Lord, and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. Lord,
why castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from
me? I am afflicted and ready to die
from my youth up." Now, do you hear that? These are the words
of the Lord. I'm afflicted and ready to die from my youth up.
While I suffer thy tears, I'm distracted. Thy fierce wrath
goeth over me. Thy terrors have cut me off.
They came round about me daily like water. They compassed me
about together. Lover and friend, thou'st put
far from me and mine acquaintance into the darkness." Now, back
to our text in Luke chapter four. Now we know from Matthew's account,
he laid his hands upon them and every single one of them were
healed. And this laying on of hands tells
us about what happened in substitution. My sin, my sorrow, my illness,
my disease became his. He bore it in his own body on
the tree. That's so mysterious. Mysterious is the only word I
can think of. Glorious. Luke 4. And devils, he laid his hands
on every one of them. Verse 40. And healed them. Verse
41. And devils also came out of many during this time, crying
out and saying, Thou art Christ. The Son of God, and He rebuking
them, suffered them not to speak, for they knew He was Christ. They knew what Peter knew, didn't
they? They knew the same thing. They had the same confession
that Peter had when the Lord said, thou art Peter and upon
this rock, this confession of me, I'll build my church and
the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. They had knowledge,
didn't they? They had knowledge. And they had no doubt about it.
These fellas had been in heaven. I don't understand angelic beings.
I know they're greater in power and might than we are. And these
had once been in heaven and seen he who is the image of the invisible
God. And they'd been cast out and
they knew exactly who he was. They knew he was Christ. They had knowledge, but they
didn't know God. They knew who he was. But they
did not know him. Knowledge. Now I want to talk
some about knowledge for a few moments. There is no faith without
knowledge. You cannot believe what you don't
know. It's impossible. You cannot believe
what you're ignorant of. You cannot believe what you don't
know any more than you can come back from a place where you've
never been. It cannot be done. You can't believe on Christ.
If you don't know, he is the Christ. Knowledge is essential. Paul said, I know. I know who I have believed. And I'm persuaded that he's able
to keep that which I've committed to him against that day. Knowledge is essential. But,
now you listen real carefully, but you can have more knowledge
than anybody else. And you can know the contents
of the Bible better than anybody else and have a better grasp
and a good grasp on all the doctrines of the scripture, and still be
utterly void of saving faith. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 8,
verse 1, we know we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up. That's a strong statement, isn't
it? Knowledge swells one with pride. I know something you don't
know. Therefore, I have the advantage
over you. Knowledge, all knowledge does,
when that's all there is, all knowledge does is puff up with
pride. Paul said, though I have all
knowledge that I could remove mountains, it profits me nothing
without Jared. Knowledge alone doesn't do anything
for anybody. Paul said in Galatians 6, if
a man thinks he knows anything, he knows nothing, as he ought
to know. All knowledge will do, if that's
all we have, is make hell hotter for us. I'm going to repeat that. All
knowledge will do, and I'm talking about accurate knowledge. I'm
talking about knowledge that's true. All knowledge will do,
if that's all we have, it'll make hell hotter for us. You know, you can be right on
everything and perish. with all the other Pharisees
in all of our accurate doctrine. Now turn with me for a moment
to 1 John chapter 5. They knew He was Christ, they
said it. Thou art the Christ, the Son
of God. They knew, they knew He was Christ.
Now look in 1 John chapter 5, verse 1. Whosoever. Now notice what it doesn't say.
Whosoever knows that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. It
doesn't say that, does it? It says, whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. While it's true you cannot believe
what you do not know, it is equally true that you can not believe
what you do know. Now I want you to think about
that. You can't believe what you don't know, but it's also
true you can not believe what you do know. Now the word believe
means much more than simply believing the truthfulness of a proposition.
It means to trust. It means to entrust. You know, if I have a baby and
I want you to watch that baby for me, I'm entrusting something
to you, aren't I? I'm entrusting what is precious
to me to you and I'm trusting you to take care of it. Him or
her, I shouldn't say it. There's entrusting. There's a
committal. You commit yourself. This is
what faith, whoso believeth, not just the knows, but believeth,
entrusts, commits. Paul said, I know whom I have
believed. I'm persuaded he's able to keep that which I've
committed to him against that day. Now, whosoever. I love this word. It's one of
my favorite words in the Bible. There's some words that I just
really love, and this is one of them. Whosoever, whosoever
shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Whosoever,
I'm one of them. So this opens up the door for
me right here. I'm a whosoever. Whosoever believeth
that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Believeth, whosoever
believeth. Believes what? Who Jesus is. It doesn't say, whosoever believes
that Jesus died for them. It doesn't say that. You know,
we sing that hymn, and I like the hymn. Just as I am without
one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou
bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come to thee. I don't
come to him because I believe his blood was shed for me. That's
not why I come. I come to Him because I don't
have anywhere else to go. I come to Him because I really
have no choice. I come to Him because I must have Him. I come to Him because I can't
come to God without Him. That's why I come to Him. I don't
come to Him because I have assurance that He died for me. Now, I do
have assurance that He died for me. when I look to Him. But you
don't come to Him on the ground that you think, well, He died
for me, therefore I come. No, you come because you need
mercy. You come to Him as a sinner needing
the Savior. You come to Him because He said,
come unto Me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll
give you rest. He said, Him that cometh to Me,
I'll in no wise, for no reason cast out. Lord, You promised
You won't cast out anybody who comes. Here I come, have mercy
on me. That is why I come. That is how I come. To whom coming as unto a living
stone. It doesn't say whosoever believes
he's saved is born of God. You know, there's all kinds of
people who believe they're saved who are not saved. Doesn't say
that at all. It says, whosoever believeth,
you're relying on this. You're entrusting your soul to
this. This is the only hope you have. Whosoever believeth that
Jesus is the Christ. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is God's anointed prophet. He is the Word of God. He believes that Jesus is God's
anointed priest, the one who can bring him into the very presence
of God. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
Christ is God's anointed king, the one who rules that person,
is born of God. Now, first, there is knowledge.
There's knowledge that he's the Christ. He's God's prophet. He's
the word of God. He's God's priest. No man comes
to the Father but by him. And he's God's king. God said,
yet have I set my king on my holy hill of Zion. Now, but in
this thing of believing, understand this. Not only is there knowledge,
there's need. I need Him to bring me the Word
of God. I need Him to reveal Himself
to me. I need Him to cause His words
to be to me words of spirit and words of life. I need Him to
bring God's message to me because I can't figure it out. I can't.
I need Him to reveal Himself to me because I cannot see Him
unless He uncovers Himself and makes Himself known as God's
prophet. I need Him as God's prophet to
me. Oh, how I need Him. and how I
need Him as my priest. I cannot come to God on my own. I can't get there. I'm too sinful. There's nothing about me that
would bring me into His presence. I need Him to come into the Father's
presence for me. I need Him to offer His own blood
for me before the Father. I need Him to pray for me. I need him to represent me. I need him as my priest. And I need him as my king. What
do kings do? They rule and they reign. Their
word is done. I need Him to rule and reign
over me. I need Him to subdue my iniquities
for me. I need Him to work in me by irresistible,
invincible grace as the King of kings, both to will and to
do His good pleasure. I need Him as my King. Yeah, I believe He's the Christ.
I surely do. I believe He's God's Christ.
You believe that? I believe He's God's Christ. And I need Him
as my Christ. I'm entrusting, I'm committing
my soul to Him as the very Word of God. I'm committing the salvation
of my soul wholly to Him, for Him to do everything for me.
Representing me, I'm completely relying on him as my king to
work in me. I believe that he is the Christ. And I'm relying upon him as such
faith or knowledge. You know. Our biggest problem. Talking
about me and I'm talking about you. Our biggest problem, our
greatest obstacle is not that we're unwilling to do something
to save ourselves. Our greatest problem is that
we're unwilling to do nothing. To do nothing. And to look to
Him only. Do you know the hardest thing
in the world to do is to trust the Lord Jesus Christ only. But my friends, that's what faith
is. You look to Him only. You don't look to yourself. You
don't look to your experience. You don't look to your thoughts,
your feelings, your intentions. You look to Him only as everything
that God requires of you. That is faith. Remember that eunuch? See, here's
water. What hinders me from being baptized?
I want to know if there's a reason why I shouldn't be baptized.
Let me know. Here's water. What hinders me? Phillip said,
if you believe with all your heart, you may. And he didn't
say, I believe I'm saved. He didn't say, I believe Jesus
Christ died for my sins. He believed who the Lord Jesus
is. I believe that Jesus is God,
the son. Faith is believing who he is.
And if you and I ever find out who he is, I know this, we'll
believe on him. Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. And thou shalt be saved. There's an infinite difference
between believing and knowing. Infinite. Look back at 1 John
5.1. Here's the difference. Whosoever believe that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. And everyone that loveth him
that begat, the one who birthed us, loveth him also that's begotten
of him. Now here's what comes from faith. Really believing, really relying,
really entrusting your soul to the living God. You love him
that begat. You love the Lord God as He is
revealed in His Word. And you love Him that's begotten
of Him. You see, there's a true fellowship
in communion of souls. Everybody who sees Jesus as the
Christ And they're relying upon him as the Christ. You know what
they all do? They love one another. A true and genuine love. Now you take this as God's word, because it is
God's word. Whosoever believeth, whosoever
relies, whosoever needs Jesus as God's
Christ is born of God. I'm not asking you if you're
saved. I'm not asking if you have assurance of salvation.
I am asking you this, do you believe that Jesus is the Christ? Well, if you do, you are born
of God. Let's pray.